06-09-2016 Planning Commission Packet

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5 It is noted that this movement also has the potential to interfere with vehicles that are in-bound to the Valvoline building, which loads cars for service from the rear (east) entry, after which those vehicles exit toward Rice Street to the west. The operator of the Valvoline facility has raised a concern about traffic exiting from the proposed Little Caesar’s site restricting access to his business. f. Traffic would then exit to Rice Street at the current curb cut. g. The applicant suggests that this circulation would be preferable to having traffic enter the rear of the building from the south between the subject shopping center building and the CVS building. That location is marked as exit (west-bound) traffic only. The CVS drive-through window is located in the area, on the north wall of the CVS building, traffic existing west to Rice Street. The applicant also notes that if Little Caesar’s traffic is allowed to enter at this location, it would conflict with that traffic pattern, and raise a concern as to visibility for CVS drive-through traffic at the northeast corner of the CVS building. 2. Headlight Glare. The applicant further suggests that the proposed alignment would minimize headlight glare toward the houses east of the shopping center. The home at 115 Rosewood is aligned directly with the driveway between CVS and the subject shopping center, whereas the driveway north of the shopping center building is aligned only with rear yards, with no houses in the line of headlights. In either case, a solid screening fence is in place, intended to minimize the impact of headlight glare and other impacts between the two land uses. 3. Screening and Landscaping. The applicant suggests in his submission that they propose to increase the buffer at the boundary of the site by moving the fence and providing additional landscaping. Planning staff would recommend that if approved, a similar planting be implemented for the north side of the parking and circulation area as well. 4. Parking Supply. The applicant proposes to eliminate about 10 parking spaces for the drive -through stacking area, as well as 5 others for the additional landscape buffer. The shopping center building is approximately 10,500 square feet in area, estimated to be about 9,450 square feet of net usable area. The Valvoline building is approximately 1,400 square feet, about 1,250 square feet of net area. The two buildings share the parking generated for their businesses. For typical retail requirements, the zoning ordinance would require one parking space per 200 square feet of net area. This would result in a requirement for the two buildings of 54 parking spaces. The aerial photo shows about 46 parking spaces in the front of the shopping center building, and along the north line next to the Valvoline site. To the rear of the shopping center, there are more than 20 additional spaces. Thus, even eliminating 15 parking spaces under the proposed plan, the site significantly exceeds the zoning ordinance parking standards.